Solar in Denver, CO
With Xcel Energy Colorado's electricity at about 16.8¢ per kWh and 1,602 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Denver home today: about a 12.5-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.5 yrsColorado: 12.4 yrs
- 25-year net
- $19,556after paying $14,720
- Sun
- 1,602kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 16.8¢7% below U.S. average
A typical Denver home, by the numbers
| Utility | Xcel Energy Colorado |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 584 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.4 kW, about 10 panels, 7,049 kWh a year (101% of use) |
| Cost | $14,720 |
| First-year savings | $1,130 |
| Payback | 12.5 years |
| Exported power | 13.5¢/kWh (Xcel Energy Colorado) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.6% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Denver
- Owner-occupied homes
- 49%
- Single-family detached
- 40%
- Median home value
- $616k
- Median year built
- 1975
- Population
- 718,877
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 72%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 129,386 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Denver
Public installation records for Colorado don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Colorado.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Denver
Is solar worth it in Denver, CO?
For a typical home in Denver, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.4 kW system costs about $14,720 after state incentives, saves about $1,130 in year one and pays back in about 12.5 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Denver?
About 1,602 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% more than the Colorado average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Denver?
Most homes in Denver are served by Xcel Energy Colorado, at about 16.8¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by United Power.
How much do solar panels cost in Denver?
A fair cash price is around $3.05 per watt before incentives, so about $14,720 for a 4.4 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Commerce City 12.6 yrs
- Englewood 12.5 yrs
- Thornton 12.6 yrs
- Aurora 12.4 yrs
- Northglenn 12.6 yrs
- Centennial 12.3 yrs
- Wheat Ridge 12.9 yrs
- Westminster 13 yrs
- All of Colorado
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.